June 15, 2015 by BOB BOILEN • The Prettiots' songs are winsome and clever, but most of all they're honest and funny. Goodness knows pop music needs some clever fun. The three women in The Prettiots — Kay Kasparhauser on ukulele and lead vocals, Rachel Trachtenburg from the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players on drums, and bassist Lulu Prat — share their love of everything from Law & Order to old-school girl groups like the Shangri-Las. Their song "Stabler," performed here, is based on Kasparhauser's infatuation with the Law & Order character Elliot Stabler. "Boys (I Dated In High School)" is the Prettiots tune that first charmed me, thanks mainly to the perfect portrait its brainy rhymes paint: Martin, that was your name I met you on the 1 train You were super duper duper hot On the 1 train You said you were a painter Mostly you were a waiter A stoner and a skater So I had to say later, These are the boys that I dated in high school I thought they were so nice And I thought they were so cool These are the boys that I dated in high school They weren't very nice And they weren't very cool It's the sort of music you'll either adore or abhor; it's hard to be neutral and you'll know it quickly. For me, their appearance at the Tiny Desk totally made my day. Set List "Boys (I Dated In High School)" 00:00 "Stabler" 2:55 "Suicide Hotline" 5:29 Credits Producers: Bob Boilen, Maggie Starbard; Audio Engineer: Brian Jarboe; Editor: Morgan Walker; Videographers: Maggie Starbard, Morgan McCloy; Assistant Producer: Michaela Gugliotta; photo by Morgan McCloy/NPR

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